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5 Questions Australian Wholesalers Should Ask Before Connecting an ERP to eCommerce
Most wholesalers don’t struggle to sell online. They struggle to keep what’s sold online in step with what’s happening in the warehouse and the accounts. Before you choose a platform, it pays to test how well it will work with your ERP.
1. Which system is the source of truth?
Decide up front which system owns each piece of data. Usually the ERP owns stock levels, customer accounts and pricing, and the website shows them. When both can edit the same field, you get conflicts that someone has to fix by hand.
2. Can it handle your real pricing?
Wholesale pricing is rarely a single price list. You might have contract rates, quantity breaks, customer-specific deals and special terms. If your ERP holds these rules, your online store should apply them at checkout without staff overriding anything. Ask for a demo with your most awkward customer’s pricing, not a simple example.
3. How current is the data, really?
“Real-time” can mean live updates or a sync every few hours. For fast-moving stock, that gap decides whether a customer orders something you’ve already sold. Ask how often stock, orders and prices sync, and what happens when a sync fails.
4. Will it work with your ERP, or only popular ones?
Many Australian businesses run MYOB, Pronto, Jiwa, Attache or Readysell rather than the big global names. Check for an established connector for your exact system and version. Custom integrations can be built, but they add cost and ongoing maintenance.
5. How will your team and customers actually use it?
Automation only pays off if people use it. Think about your reps placing orders for several accounts, buyers who want to order from their phones, and large customers who may want to order from inside their own procurement systems. Training and rollout should be part of the plan from day one.
A practical way to start
You don’t have to go live with everything at once. Many businesses begin with products, stock and orders, then add rep ordering, Punchout or freight integration once the basics run smoothly. Clean up your product and customer data before you connect anything. It’s the cheapest fix you’ll make.
Talk to TOTECS
TOTECS connects with leading Australian and global ERPs and is built for wholesale pricing, rep ordering and automated order flow. Contact our team on 1300 123 500 to see how it would work with your system.